The Rhode Island Association of Democratic City and Town Chairs (RIADCTC) has moved its planned August business meeting at the Westerly Yacht Club “because of the club’s refusal to allow women to be full voting members and its discrimination against the LGBTQ community.” The meeting was scheduled for August 23.

“Until it was recently reported in various media outlets, we were unaware the WYC refused to allow women to be full voting members and refused to allow the spouses of gay male members to be Associate Members,” said RIADCTC President Mike Burk of Tiverton

“We now understand a majority of members of the WYC and its leadership support allowing women to be voting members but a super-majority vote is required to make that important change. In the meantime, we cannot support discrimination against any people at any time. It’s simply wrong and contradicts the very tenets of our party,” Mr. Burk said.

He added that “The Westerly Democratic Town Committee Chairman, Bob Ritacco, fully agrees that, until the WYC ends its discriminatory practices, no Democratic group should use the club’s facilities.”